Project Success’ Top 20 Highlights Through the 2021-2022 School Year!

May 20, 2022

While this year was unpredictable and full of hurdles to say the least, Project Success is proud to have made it to the finish line with our students! The programming for our 15,000+ students centered around our 4 components: arts, expeditions, certificates, and curriculum. Check out some of the highlights from this school year that we achieved together, with our staff, partners, community, and students!

 

October 2021

“What’s Cooking in the PS Institute?”

Students returned to the Project Success Institute in-person for cooking, bike tech, personal finance, and coding! There were many students who had only experienced the Institute virtually, so this was a first trimester for many high schoolers to connect in-person with peers from across multiple MPS high schools.

 

 

October 2021

Post-Secondary College Exploration

We took hundreds of students from our MPS partner schools on 12 PS College Tours throughout the Twin Cities and Wisconsin. Through admission chats, student panels, and campus tours, 9th-12th graders explored college options and their future goals and dreams! Many of these students experienced multiple tours to compare their post secondary options. (Read More)

August 2021

“We’re Back!”

After a year of social distancing and virtual learning, we were finally back in-person at 29 schools to serve our 15,000+ middle and high school students once more! That’s every middle and high school student in the city. (Read More)

September 2021

 Outdoor Adventures!

In partnership with our fabulous partners at Wilderness Inquiry, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minneapolis Parks and Fort Snelling State Park, PS facilitated a unique outdoor learning opportunity for middle school students that included multiple teamwork building activities.
PS Facilitators remarked how successfully the day evolved as students worked together to accomplish goals as a team, such as in the recycle relay and learning to paddle a canoe. (Read More)

October 2021

PS Theater Experiences LIVE!

One of our most popular programs returned last fall to much applause! Thanks to the generosity of our 50+ theater partners we welcomed 1,500 students, families and partner teachers to enjoy 30+ live performances once more! (Read More)

November 2021

PS Institute Students Cook At The Malcom Yards

On November 17 Project Success took 16 of our PS Institute Cooking Certificate students to a Malcolm Yards Market field trip. Generously, The Market at Malcolm Yards gave students access to enjoy all the food options available to them for free. And students were also able to partake in an interactive cooking activity with Chef Joey making gnocchi!
(Read More)

November 2021

A Night of Connection and Inspiration

The students were able to hear personal stories and life lessons from former Viking and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Dr. Damion Thomas, Sports Curator for NMAAHC. They also took part in a PS facilitated workshop and had a chance to share some of their own stories and ask questions of the guest speakers and several current Vikings players, including Eric Kendricks, CJ Ham, Anthony Barr, Alexander Mattison, Irv Smith Jr, DJ Wonnum and Patrick Jones. One of the students captured the energy of the evening beautifully in the closing reflection: “Don’t ever think your story is boring. Everyone’s story is inspiring!”
(Read More)

 

 

December 2021

Celebrating Student Achievement at the PS Institute

We are proud of our 59 high school students who successfully completed our fall PS Institute’s coding,  bike tech, cooking, and personal finance courses. Multiple students attended numerous classes, resulting in 75 total earned Certificates!

December 2021

Stage Ready!

Live on stage! This holiday season we had multiple Project Success students living their acting dreams on stage with professional performances with several PS theater partner productions. Sadie from Andersen in the Guthrie Theater’s A Christmas Carol, Lucy from Roosevelt in The World According to Snoopy at Youth Performance Company and Audrey from Southwest as Annie! in the Children’s Theatre Company production of Annie. Congrats to all our rising thespians!

 

 

March 2022

A Tubular Day Outside

Winter Adventure was a blast! Anwatin, Franklin, Northeast and Olson middle schools families, students, and staff were able to experience free winter activities and sunshine with Project Success and The Loppet Foundation at Theodore Wirth Park. They enjoyed cross-country skiing, snowshoe hiking, sledding, tubing, orienteering, roasting marshmallows over an open fire to make s’mores, and arts and crafts.

 

 

 

April 2022

“Get out of my Swamp”
Our Northeast Middle School students  brought a rousing rendition of Shrek Jr. to the stage this spring! They were not only creative and talented, but also resilient. From virtual to in-person, in-school to PS-office rehearsals, and everything in between, our 6-8th grade students triumphed over many hurdles over the past couple months to make the first PS musical at Northeast happen!

March 2022

Science Fusion Exploration

As part of our partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota, students and families were able to explore science and history from African American, Asian American, Latin X, and Native American Scientists!

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2022

“Be our Guest”

In March, PS musicals were back on stage after a two year pandemic hiatus! Beauty and the Beast Jr. was performed by Sanford Middle School 6-8th grade students to a packed house both nights. From behind the scenes, and on-stage, students navigated both in-person and then virtual rehearsals while they were distance-learning to make this production a reality.

 

 

April & May 2022

Spring Theater Field Trips
Over 700 students from multiple partner MPS middle and high schools experienced various theater performances from Northrop and the Guthrie Theater, just to name a few theaters! Many students had a chance to experience live theater for the first time.

 

 

April & May 2022

Project Success Theater Residencies

While Project Success has co-facilitated artist residencies for many years, we expanded these offerings during the 2021-22 school year to help partner teachers continue to provide great arts experiences. Now that students have returned to primarily in-person learning, more get to experience a blend of virtual and in-person artist residencies directly within the classroom. These residency experiences provided students an opportunity for self-exploration on identity, culture, and movement.  
(Read More)

May 2022

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Our 18th annual Fielding Dreams event was incredible! For the first time in two years we were able to gather in-person. And thanks to the generously donated tickets from the Minnesota Twins, we welcomed 1,200+ students and their families to the game! A perfect night at the ballpark was made even more special thanks to our talented Sanford musical middle school students who sang on the field. Way to go rockstars!
(Read More)

May 2022

Credit Recovery Throughout the School Year

From PS college tours, the PS Institute, Theater, and much more, high school students were able to receive credit needed to graduate from Project Success programming to ensure that they finish the school year strong!
(Read More)

May 2022

River Adventure Days!

As with the fall, Project Success once again partnered with Wilderness Inquiry to offer outdoor experiences for 300 middle school students. One student shared, “This is the best field trip ever!”

May 2022

Spring in the Project Success Institute

The final trimester within the PS Institute is alive and well with new and returning students exploring budget friendly dishes from all over the world to cook, building upon knowledge related to bike maintenance, gaining mentorship with coding, and building fundamental skills with personal finance! PS is on track to provide 200 certificates this year thanks to our Institute Programming.

May 2022

2029 Workshops This School Year! 

Despite the twists and turns of this unpredictable school year, every student within MPS middle and high schools was served with inspiring programming to help them discover and nurture their dreams and their post-secondary ambitions! Students have received 2029 workshops, resulting in thousands of hours of Project Success curriculum, throughout this school year, encouraging goal-setting and support to help them be the person they want to be!